Your Own Kind of Girl

By
Clare Bowditch
Allen & Unwin
 This is the story I promised myself, aged twenty-one, that I would
one day be brave enough - and well enough - to write.

Clare Bowditch has always had a knack for telling stories. Through
her music and performing, this beloved Australian artist has touched
hundreds of thousands of lives. But what of the stories she used to
tell herself? That 'real life' only begins once you're thin or beautiful,
that good things only happen to other people.

YOUR OWN KIND OF GIRL reveals a childhood punctuated by

grief, anxiety and compulsion, and tells how these forces shaped
Clare's life for better and for worse. This is a heartbreaking, wise
and at times playful memoir. Clare's own story told raw and as it
happened. A reminder that even on the darkest of nights, victory is
closer than it seems.

With startling candour, Clare lays bare her truth in the hope that
doing so will inspire anyone who's ever done battle with their inner
critic. This is the work of a woman who has found her true power -
and wants to pass it on. Happiness, we discover, is only possible
when we take charge of the stories we tell ourselves.

'The words that kept coming to me over and over again as I read this
book were authenticity and decency. Clare Bowditch made me feel
how wonderful and difficult and amazing it is to be a human.'
LEIGH SALES

'Brutal at times but funny as f@#k. This book will change a lot of
lives for the better.' BERNARD FANNING
 'Reading this book felt as intimate as having a long, heart-
breakingly vulnerable yet hilarious conversation with Clare by a fire
with wine in hand. It is a celebration of the human struggle, how we
can learn to befriend (and say "f@#k off" to) our demons, and
ultimately write our own story. There is so much hope in this book.'
MISSY HIGGINS

'Clare Bowditch cements her status as one of Australia's most

mesmerising storytellers with this debut. Her ability to lay bare the
vulnerabilities, hurts and triumphs of a woman's life is second to
none. She's my kind of girl, for sure.' CLEMENTINE FORD

'This book is like a life-buoy, tossed across a generation by a sick

and frightened young woman, who grew up to be Clare Bowditch.
An extraordinary tale, faithfully remembered and generously told.
What a woman. A transfixing and powerful memoir.' ANNABEL
CRABB

'Clare Bowditch opens her heart and history with staggering

generosity - unpicking the birth of her creativity and the early scars
that forged her. Much like the woman herself, YOUR OWN KIND
OF GIRL is unflinching, entertaining, inspiring and real. I inhaled
this book.' KAT STEWART

'A brave and generous work. Never didactic or patronising,

Bowditch nonetheless has much to share as she invites the reader
inside the tender heart and evolving mind of a young woman
determined to make sense of herself and her place in the world. Told
with Bowditch's trademark warmth and openness, this book is an act
of compassion as much as it is the product of diligent reflection and
insight.' PEGGY FREW
 'For parents, indeed anyone that would like to understand mental
illness, and that recovery is possible. Clare writes with extraordinary
self-awareness and insight. Her journey encourages anyone to keep
going; to believe that there is something better, to take one step at a
time toward it, and not to give up. A truly compelling story of
resilience, survival and growth. ' DR CHARLOTTE KEATING

'A deeply revealing insight into how a true artist is born. Brutally
honest, compelling and affecting, Clare's luminous warmth shines
through every page.' KATE MILLER-HEIDKE

'I fell in love with this book from the start - it's a brutally honest,
witty, smart and courageous account of Clare Bowditch finding her
path and her power.' EDDIE PERFECT

'Clare takes us to the edge of the stuff we flee from - the late-night
inner turmoil of an eating disorder, the loneliness of being the "fat
kid" and death - so that, as her friend Leonard Cohen once said, the
light might come in.' SARAH WILSON

'Clare's story (so far) reveals how resilience is created from the
suffering life inflicts. Clare discovers the unlikely weapons of FAFL
and FOF to kickstart her recovery and combat "Frank", her internal
nemesis, and with the guidance of Ron, her therapist, she transforms
breakdown into breakthrough. Clare's suffering morphs into
flourishing, as this highly creative human finds her authentic self
and builds her artistic career and her own family. Clare's honesty
and warmth shines strongly through the pages of this inspiring and
moving memoir.' PROFESSOR PAT McGORRY

'Finally, an author who has found the words to describe that

excruciatingly complex relationship many women have with food.'
 JAMILA RIZVI

'What I love best about the glorious Clare Bowditch is how richly
she embraces life and holds to what's most sustaining. Her beautiful
book is so like her music: bold, original, earthy, funny, grateful,
honest, truthful and tuneful - and fabulously female.' STEPHANIE
DOWRICK, author of Choosing Happiness

'Vibrant, touching, hilarious. Clare's heart-baring makes me want to

live brighter, tell more truths, and laugh - in a sweet way - at my
self-criticism and fears. This is book is a healer.' DANIELLE
LAPORTE, author of The Desire Map

Allen & Unwin

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